Top 10 Phone Interview Questions to Ask Job Candidates

Anja Zojceska | 1/4/2019 | Interviews

Great phone interview questions will help you uncover the best candidates in less than 15 minutes. Discover which 10 phone interview questions you should be asking your job candidates to find out everything you need to make an informed decision and select the top candidates.

What is a phone interview?

Phone interviews are conducted by employers in order to screen job applicants.

This is why phone interviews are also known as phone screens.

Basically, phone interviews are an initial conversation between employer and candidates in a form of a quick chat.

The goal of this chat is to establish if a certain candidate is suitable for the position employer is looking to fill.

Top 10 phone interview questions - and how to use them

From my previous experiences, as well as talking with many HR professionals and recruiters, I have developed a list of the top 10 questions you should consider asking your applicants in a phone interview.

These top 10 questions are carefully crafted to help you cover all the most important topics in the shortest amount of time.

While I strongly recommend developing customized phone screen questions for each of your open job positions, these top 10 phone screen best practices interview questions will provide orientation and serve as a guide.

List of the top 10 phone interview questions

Here is the list of the top 10 phone interview questions to ask job candidates:

Phone interview question #1: Opening question

How did you find out about our job opening?

Phone interview question #2: Assess interest

What made you apply?

Phone interview question #3: Assess motivation

What excites you most about this position?

Phone interview question #4: Assess work history

How many years of experience do you have in [insert appropriate job position/industry]?

Phone interview question #5: Assess qualifications

Do you have a [insert appropriate must-have qualification, such as certification, driver license, etc.]?

Phone interview question #6: Asses experience

Do you have experience using [X] software in any of your previous jobs?

Phone interview question #7: Assess company culture fit

What type of workplace culture do you thrive in?

Phone interview question #8: Check affordability

What are your salary expectations?

Phone interview question #9: Check availability

If we were to ask you in for a face to face interview, when would you be available?